SET 1

Part 1: Describe an important conversation that you had with

someone.
I'm very shy to talk to people I'm not close to. But I remember
one time. That was conversation with my English teacher 2
years ago. At that time I was very upset because of an
argument with my parents and my teacher asked me "You
look so sad, what happened to you". I was quite surprised b/c
she noticed my feelings. And I answered her that “My parents
just yelled at me and I feel very disappointed ” she took my
hand and encouraged me saying, "I think your parent loves you
so much sometimes they do it because they want you to be better
so don't be sad" Then she gave me a candy and hugged me. I felt
that conversation was haunting and unforgettable for me.
Part 2: To have a successful conversation, it is important that the
two speakers share the same opinions on what they are
discussing. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons and examples to support your point of view.
A: I don't think that to have a successful conversation
two people need to have a common opinion on something.
Everyone has a different point of view and can speak up their
voice
B: Right. When talking to each other, the most important thing
is that both people feel comfortable and easily share their own
opinions.
A: Moreover, The thing to note that We must respect the other
person and should not interrupt when they are talking .Listening
and sharing is always an essential factor of a conversation
B: I agree with you. Their views may or may not be the same.
They just actively contribute to the conversation and find out
what's really involved.
SET 2
Part 1: Describe a time when you felt very lucky (or unlucky).
2 years ago I had an unlucky period. It lasted for 1 week. I was
standing in front of the house and waiting for my friend. I used
my phone to surf facebook. Unfortunately, a robber ran past me
and snatched the phone from my hand. It was terrible. I
panicked and screamed a lot . My mother ran out to hug me and
I cried a lot with her. I couldn't say anything at that moment b/c
I was so scared. Days later, I always remember the scene where
the robber stared at me and took my phone. I lost sleep for 3 day
in a row. This is unlucky time for me.
Part 2: When people succeed, it is entirely because of hard work.
Luck has nothing to do with their success. To what extent do
you agree or disagree with the statement? Give reasons and
examples to support your point of view.
A: We can’t deny the fact that if someone want to be
successful, they will be hard-working, but it’s not 100% . It's
also based on luck. In my view, people’s success is 80% of hard
work and 20% of luck.
B: Of course. For examples, Bill Gates’s talent and effort play
important roles in the extreme success of Microsoft. But that’s
not enough for creating such an outlier
A: Sometimes you have tried your best but without luck, you
cannot succeed. It's like you have an important competition and
you prepared it very well but unfortunately you got into an
accident and missed the contest.
B: Moreover, people were born differently, some who are
luckier, were born rich, they give more opportunities to have
access to better things like education and experience of new
things. So they can also be more successful than the average
person
SET 3
Part 1: Describe a time when you or your acquaintance had to
see a doctor.
I went on a beach trip with my family 3 years ago. After
returning home I felt some black spots on my hand and I didn't
care about it. I think May be my skin just got sunburned. But a
few days later I felt itchy and uncomfortable so I went to the
doctor. The doctor told me that I was allergic to the sun's rays
and my current condition is very bad. It can be cancerous if I
don't treat it. I was very shocked to hear this. The doctoru
prescribed the strongest medicine for me and told me to put on
enough sunscreen. And fortunately my hands have improved
and no longer have brown spots.
Part 2: Some people claim that prevention is better than cure. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this saying? Give
reasons and examples to support your point of view.
A: I think the opinion that prevention is better than cure is
correct. Some people only go to the doctor when they have a
serious illness. But they don't think the disease has become
incurable and they start to feel regret
B: In my opinion, we all prefer a long and happy life over pain
and illness. Therefore, prevention is a necessary step to improve
our quality of life
A: Moreover, taking care of our health in the first place can
save us from incurable diseases such as cancer, which can cost
a huge amount of money.
B: I completely agree with you. I believe that prevention is
better than cure is the most
important thing to live a happier and healthier life.
SET 4
Part 1: Describe an old and wise person that you know.
I'm an introvert so I'm shy to talk to other people. But there is
one person that I have always admired and can easily talk to.
That's my aunt. She is over 40 years old but still looks young
and has a good figure. My aunt is a very hardworking and
knowledgeable about many things. She always helps people
around her. My first impression of her was her bright smile and
soft voice. With everything she's been through, she's a great
mentor and storyteller. She is really thoughtful because she
knows exactly what to say to comfort others. Talking with her
learned a lot about life and having a more mature mindset.
Part 2: Nowadays, young people often send their aging parents
to nursing homes. Do you think this is a positive or negative
trend? Give examples to support your viewpoint.
A: I wouldn't send my parents to a nursing home, But that
opinion is not completely wrong because everyone has their own
situation and a different amount of time to spend with their
parents
B: Right. Some people have time to take care of their parents,
some people can't, so taking them to a nursing home is a good
choice at that time.
A: Plus It doesn't mean they don't love their parents.
Nursing homes have many benefits. Parents will receive
medical care. There are staff members who always help parents
do every things that they can't do.
B: Nursing Home also organizes activities such as social
gatherings or meditation to help them feel happy and good for
their spirits. On the other hand, parents do not want to be a
burden for their children, so they are ready to go to a nursing
home
SET 5
Part 1: Describe a memorable trip in your life.
I would love to travel. In the summer two years ago, I had a trip
in Da Nang. It was a memorable trip for me. I went with my
family by plane. Da Nang is a wonderfull tourist city with lots of
places to hang out. My memory with this place is walking
around the streets of Hoi An with fresh air. Two sides of the
street are decorated with beautiful lanterns. Tourists sit on boats
to release lanterns on the Thu Bon River. The food is so
delicious and the people here are very happy, friendly
with the visitors. I feel very relaxed when I lived here. So I
will come back here in the future.
Part 2: Recently, while young people often consider
backpacking as a thrilling way to travel, parents only see
dangers out of this trend. Do you think the advantages of this
outweigh the disadvantages? Give examples to clarify your
viewpoint.
A: I think the advantages of backpacking outweigh the
disadvantages. Backpacking gives you opportunities to have
diverse experiences and see the world in a different way
B: That true. It can be challenging but it teaches people how to
adapt to a new environment, which is helpful when it comes to
life or work.
A: Every place you visit, every event you take part in and every
journey are more meaningful because you exert a lot in visiting
and exploring your destinations
B: It gives you a freedom you never had before. You are not
limited to anyone or any place so you can enjoy the journey
SET 6
Part 1: Describe an environmental problem in your city.
Air pollution is always a difficult problem to solve. And HCMC
is currently in the top 15 most polluted cities in Southeast Asia
and also the major economic center of Vietnam, crowded with
many motorbikes, and there are thousands of factories in here.
Therefore, every day many emissions are released into the air.
That is not environmentally friendly at all. But every day it
happens and increases. To improve this, people need to take
action to protect fresh air. Government needs to encourage
people to use public transports more to decrease the rate of
emissions.
Part 2: Plastic bags should be banned completely to help protect
the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give
examples to support your point of view.
A: I agree with the complete ban on plastic bags. Except for our
convenience, plastic bags are absolutely banefull to our lives. It
full of harmful chemicals
B: Exactly. Plastic bags are made from non-renewable resources
and the manufacturing process produces greenhouse gases that
change the global climate
A: Not only that, plastic bags also become a threat to the life of
animals living on the earth as well as in water and seriously
affect the environment.
B: In my opinion, it is perfectly reasonable to ban plastic bags,
otherwise we will suffer all kinds of pollution and health
problems.
SET 7
Part 1: Describe an activity you have done to keep fit.
I think that staying healthy is extremely important. If you don't
have health, you can't do anything. So I do yoga every day.
Every morning I spend 45 minutes to practice at home. I often
watch video about yoga exercises to follow instruction. It has
brought a lot of benefits to me. Movements that help me control
my breath. Through each day of practice, I am more flexible,
doing everything more quickly. My body is better. After 1
month of practice, My health is improved. Yoga is a good
choice so I can keep fit.
Part 2: Some people think that working out at the gym is more
effective than working out at home. To what extent do you
agree or disagree? Give examples to support your point of view.
A: In my opinion exercising at home has many benefits. You
will save time traveling and paying for your practice.
B: I agree. It allows you to skip all the inconveniences of
preparing for a workout and focus your time and energy on your
workout routine.
A: Exercising with strangers can be intimidating and
embarrassing. But when working out at home, you don't have to
worry about other people's judgment.
B: It also gives you time flexibility. You can workout whenever
you feel inspired or energized and there is no monthly or yearly
fee
SET 8
Part 1: Describe a teacher who had an important influence on
your education.
When I was in middle school, I was very bad at English. Luckily
, I had the opportunity to study in Ms. An’s class. She is over 30
years old but still look young. Her hair is long curly. Especially
She has a soft voice. She is a teacher that I will never forget,
because she is extremely friendly with students. We can freely
share ideas in her class. Moreover, Ms. An encouraged and
helped me overcome my fear of English. She showed me more
effective ways to study and told me inspirational stories to
keep me motivated. I am really grateful for that
Part 2: Should schools teach subjects like art and music? Give
examples to support your point of view.
A: I believe that art and music are quite essential for students. It
improves our creativity as well as gives us a new perspective on
life.
B: I have the same thought as you. Art and music help us
connect with our inner self. we can listen to ourselves, realize
who we are
A: Plus, surveys have proven that art and music really improve
our quality of life as well as our moods and emotions.
B: Exactly. when we develop these skills, it gives us
meaning and helps us to understand the world from
different perspectives.
SET 9
Part 1: Describe a cultural event that you are interested in.
The Chinese Lantern Festival is a cultural event that I’m
interested in. Even though, I only watch tv, I was very impressed
with Festival. The Chinese Lantern Festival is held on the 15th
day of the first lunar month. During the night , the streets are
decorated with colorful lanterns, with puzzles written on them.
Celebrations also include lion and dragon
dances, parades and fireworks. The purpose of the festival
is to promote peace and forgiveness. I feel it very meaningful.
Hopefully in the future I can participate in this festival.
Part 2: People think that foreign cultures threaten the identity of
the nation. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give
examples to support your point of view.
A: When globalization is happening and other cultures are
mingling together. Foreign cultures can lose the cultural identity
of the nation countries.
B: That's right. Western countries have a great impact on
Vietnam. For example, people prefer listening to pop and hip
hop music over traditional Vietnamese music
A: National culture is disappearing. Nowadays people are less
supportive of local brand and instead use goble brands like Nike,
adidas
B: And young people today tend to use English unnecessarily in
their daily lives instead of their mother tongue. So be careful
when accepting foreign cultures
SET 10
Part 1: Describe a project you had to do on your own (or with
classmates) as part of your studies.
As a student at UEF, I have a project design subject. Our group
decided to do a project about school violence. We did many
surveys to find out about the problem and other people's
opinions on it. At the end of the course, We also
need to give a lot of presentation about our point of view
and solution to the problem in front of the class. For me, the
project went smoothly because we were able to work together
effectively. I used to be very shy but after that course helped
me work better in groups and boosted my confidence.
Part 2: Are social skills more important than education when
looking for a job? Give examples to support your point of view.
A: I agree with this point because I know, the growing trend of
companies is more importance on social skills in the
recruitment process
B: Yes. Nowadays, teamwork becomes essential for a company
to grow and function well. So social skills such as
communication and cooperation are absolutely important
A: Right. There are more and more multinational corporations.
So, good social skillswill help people build better business
relationships.
B: Moreover. There are many different departments in a
company, we need to have good social skills to communicate
and cooperate with others fluently and effectively.